Study The Bee: Lesson 2

Natural beehive inside of a tree.

       During  the  winter  and  the  spring  the  hive  consists  exclusively  of  the  perfect female,  the Queen  Bee,  and  of  a  number  of  imperfect  females  or  worker  bees. In  the  spring  the  queen  bee  lays  her  eggs  first  in  the  worker  cells,  and  then in  the  drone  cells.  She  lays  as  many  as  2000  eggs  per  day.  Late  in  spring, or  very  early  in  summer,  the  workers  prepare  the  larger  queen  cells,  which are  placed  at  the  edge  of  the  comb.  In  these  the  eggs  from  which  queens  are hatched  are  deposited,  and  the  larvae  of  these  are  fed  by  the  workers  with the  rich  and  choice  nourishment  which  forms  only  the  first  meal  of  the  worker larvae.  As  soon  as  the  first  of  the  young  queens  issues  from  her  cell,  the  hive is  thrown  into  a  state  of  excitement,  as  two queens  will  not  live  in  the  same  hive,  and  the  old  queen,  gathering  about  her  a  portion  of  the workers,  leaves the  cell,  and  forms  a  new  colony.  These  swarms  number  sometimes  from twelve  to  fifteen  thousand.  This  forming  of  new  societies  is  repeated  until the  supply  of  young  queens is  exhausted,  and  then  the  workers  fall  upon  the drones  and  put  them  to  death.  It  is  said  that  the  first  brood  of  workers  in summer  lives  only  for  about  six  weeks,  and  then  gives  place  to  a  new  brood. The  extreme  limit  of  age  of  a  worker  bee  is  said  to  be  not  more  than  eight months;  the  queen  bee,  on  the  other  hand,  is  known  to  live  for  five  years,  and during  that  time  is  said  to  produce  more  than  a  million  eggs. 

Required for Observation In The Classroom: Inside of every hive are bees that perform one of three kinds of jobs. Have a picture and/or video of their hive on display. See observation hive by Frederick Dunn.

• This is lesson 2 for the study of bees, go here to see lesson 1.

Method of Student Observation:

• Exhibit  pictures  of  the  three kinds  of  bees: the queen, the drones and the workers. 
• Show  a  diagram  of  the  hind leg  of  the  worker,  and  explain  the use  of  the  brushes.  If  necessary, explain  the  nature  of  pollen,  illustrating  by  means  of  a  flower.
• Exhibit  a  piece  of  honey-comb, and  show  how  the  cells  are  placed, base  to  base,  and  so  inclined  that the  honey  cannot  easily  run  out.
• Exhibit  specimens  of  the  various stages  of  the  bee,  if  possible.  If  not, illustrate  by  means  of  a  diagram.
• Explain  that  honey  does  not exist  in  flowers,  but  is  prepared  in the  body  of  the  bee.
• Explain  the  fertilization  of flowers  if  the  children  are  advanced enough  to  understand  it.
  

How to Grade Study Notes For Student Journals: Every student will need a journal to write in weekly for this online nature study series. Teacher will assign the weekly content in advance.

• Make sure the facts are: written in complete sentences, the first word of each sentence capitalized, and a period should be included at the end of each sentence.
• Spell check your vocabulary and write the words correctly.
• Dress up your journal entries with student clip art, drawings of your own in color or in black and white.
• Student may also include photographs of their own taking for extra credit.

Look for the following facts about both bee hives and bee job description inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Queen. - The  queen  or  female bee  lays  the  eggs.  There  is  only one  in  each  hive.  She  seldom  leaves the  hive,  and  is  always  waited  on and  fed  by  the  workers.  She  may be  known  by  the  longer  tapering  abdomen.
  Drones  or  Males. - These  may be  known  by  their  short  and  thick abdomen.  A  few  hundreds  exist  in each  hive  -  about  one -twelfth  the total  number.  The  drones  do  not live  more  than  a  few  months,  are very  sluggish,  and  do  not  store  up food  or  build  cells. 
• Workers  or  Neuters -  Some thousands  of  workers  exist  in  each hive.  They  build  the  cells,  gather food,  feed  the  young,  and  store  up food  for  winter  use.  The  hind legs are  broad  and  flattened,  and  provided  with  rows  of  stiff  hairs.  These are  used  for  collecting  pollen  from flowers. 
• The  Hive - The  hive  is  the  home and  the  storehouse  of  the  bees.  In it  the workers  construct  hexagonal cells  of  wax.  The  wax  is  secreted by  the  abdomen of  the  bees.  Some of  the  cells  are  used  as  cradles  for the  young,  others  for storing  honey, and  some  for  storing  ''bee-bread.'' The  honey  is  prepared  from  the sweet  juices  obtained  from  flowers; and  the  ''bee-bread''  which  is  used to  feed the  young,  is  a  mixture  of honey  and  pollen.
• Metamorphoses - Bees,  like  most other  insects,  undergo  changes  in form.  The  young  are  white  limbless  grubs.  These  grow  and  develop into  perfect  bees. 
• We  use  the  honey which  the  bees  store  up  for  themselves. 
• In  flying  from flower  to  flower,  the  bees  convey pollen  from  one  to  another,  and thus assist  in  the  fertilization  of  the  seeds.

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

1. Wild honey harvesting by TravelRide
2. Huge beehive discovered inside an Australian home! by BBC News and Massive beehive found with 7 queens and 10 lbs. of bees! by Yappy Beeman
3. Dianaa Robertson, Bee Skep Maker from the South West Heritage Trust

The Bee Anchor Chart and Classroom Discussion: Direct discussions, develop vocabulary and demonstrate correct sentence writing. Anchor charts are used in many different grades the following example below may be used in 2nd through 4th grade during a group discussion.

• The  homes  of  bees  are  called  bee-hives.
• They  are  placed  in  gardens.
• The  bees  store  up  honey  in  the  hives.
• The  homes  of  bees  are  called  bee-hives,  and  are  placed  in gardens.
• The  bee  has  two  eyes.
• The  bee  has  four  wings.
• The  bee  has  six  legs.
• The  bee  has  two  eyes,  four  wings,  and  six  legs.
• The  mother  of  the  bees  is  called  the  queen  bee.
• The  other  two  kinds  of  bees  are  drones  and  workers.
• The drone bees are fathers.
• The fathers care for the babies.
• The baby bees are called larva or grubs.
  
• The workers are sister bees.
• The  workers  make  the  honey.
• The  bees  seek  for  honey  in  the  flowers.
• They  go  into  the  cups  of  flowers  to  suck  the  sweet  juices. 
• This sweet juice is called nectar. 
• The drones mix nectar and pollen for the babies.
• The baby bee food is sometimes called ''bee-bread''
• The  bees  make  honey  from  the  sweet  juices  of  flowers for themselves.
• We like to harvest and eat the bees honey too!

Skep Hive Dollhouse Craft:

My clothespin hornet/bee dolls in front of
their new skep hive home.

       Every bee needs a home and a family, even pretend bees. Learn how to build an old-fashioned skep hive for your clothespin bee dolls to live inside. Decorate it's exterior with silk flowers, leaves and stems. 

       Add details to the pretend door. The door is only for decoration here because the dolls actually enter and exit through the hole at the top.

Supply List:

• newsprint or brown packing paper
• masking tape
• white school glue
• one paper plate to build one
• scrap cardboard
• nicer twin for the handle
• faux wood paper for the door
• silk flowers for trim
• hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
• a tiny brass button for the door knob

See and read how to make the skep-hive dollhouse in the photos below:

crushed rings and glue application

       Crush and shape 7 rings from newsprint or brown packing paper. Use masking tape to hold the shapes in place.

       Stack the rings as you go to determine if the shapes need to be smaller or larger in order to form the shape of a skep hive properly.

       Use a paper plate to keep your area clean while you glue between each ring to bring the skep hive together. Be generous with the white glue.

the stacking of rings and handle attachments 

       Glue rings from largest to smallest until you reach the second to the smallest ring. 

       On this ring tape a handle to carry the bee dollhouse with. Wrap it around the ring to insure a very strong attachment.

      Glue on this ring and the last smallest ring on top of it.

see weighted skep hive to dry and how to paint it

       

       Use blocks to weigh down the rings while these dry overnight.

       Cut out a door from scrap cardboard and glue this firmly in place on the side of the dollhouse hive. This is a decorative door; it doesn't actually open but dresses up the appearance of the skep playfully. I covered this door with faux wooden paper to make it more believable. Glue on a tiny brass button for the handle and cut a tiny window from a magazine to include at the top of the door too.

       Paint the entire hive with dark brown acrylic paints once the hive has dried. Let this paint dry entirely before brushing on more. Use several different shades of brown applied with a dry brush to hive the hive a weathered realistic look.

added decorative details make each crafted skep hive dollhouse unique

       Hot glue on remaining decorative trims: silk flowers, stems and leaves, tucking these into cracks and such. Our queen bee appreciates a lovely garden surrounding, just like most bees and hornets.

More Arts and Crafts About Bee Hives:

• Craft a honey beehive for your dolls
• Craft a Faux ''Straw'' Skep Hive for a Doll
• Make a Beekeeper's Straw Hat Craft for A Doll

Extended Learning: Bee Themes:

• Memory ''Beehive'' for Sunday School Classrooms

Free Student Clip Art: Clip art may be printed from a home computer, a classroom computer or from a computer at a library and/or a local printing service provider. This may be done from multiple locations as needed because our education blog is online and available to the general public.

The size and shapes of the queen, drone and worker bees are illustrated above.
The stages of bees illustrated are larve. Details of bee anatomy like
legs are illustrated and the queen's cell and larva nursery cells 
are also illustrated in the clip art for students to copy
inside their journals or teachers to draw on a
white board.

Study The Bee: Lesson 1

Africanized bees on hive.

       The  bee  is  a  rather  stoutly  built  insect,  belonging  to  the  Apiarian  family  of the  Aculeate  or  stinging  Hymenoptera.  Owing  to  the  value  man  places  on its  productions,  honey  and  wax,  it  seems  to  have  been  early  domesticated. It  is  a  blackish-brown  insect  covered  generally  with  grayish-brown  hairs,  the abdomen  showing  bands  of  a  somewhat  paler  color

• The Behavior of Bees - Unit Study at The Doll Farm Camp Here, reading level is for Grade 5 and 6
• This is lesson 1 for the study of bees, go here to see lesson 2

Required for Observation In The Classroom: Picture  of  bees  and  the  bee-hive.  Diagram showing  bees,  much  enlarged.  Specimens  of  bees  and  honey-comb.

Method of Student Observation:

• Compare  with  other  insects,  and point  out  that  this  division  of  the body  into  three  parts is  characteristic of  insects.
• Explain  the  nature  of  the  compound  eye  of  an  insect.
• Compare  with  the  corresponding  part  of  the  body  of  the  butterfly or  other  insect.
• Explain  the  nature  of  the  sting with  the  aid  of  a  drawing. 

How to Grade Study Notes For Student Journals: Every student will need a journal to write in weekly for this online nature study series. Teacher will assign the weekly content in advance.

• Make sure the facts are: written in complete sentences, the first word of each sentence capitalized, and a period should be included at the end of each sentence.
• Spell check your vocabulary and write the words correctly.
• Dress up your journal entries with student clip art, drawings of your own in color or in black and white.
• Student may also include photographs of their own taking for extra credit.

Look for the following facts about bee anatomy inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Body - In  three  parts -  head, thorax,  and  abdomen.  Covered  with hair.
• Head - Provided  with  two  large, compound  eyes ;  a  sucking-tube;  and a  pair  of  jaws.
• Thorax - Composed  of  three ring-like  segments.  Each  segment bears  a  pair  of  legs,  and  the  second and  third  a  pair  of  wings  also.
• Legs - Composed  of  several  parts jointed  together.  Each  foot  terminates  in  a  pair  of  hooked  claws.
• Wings - Each  composed  of  a very  thin  and  transparent  membrane, supported  by  a  few  rays.  The  wings are  placed  one  beneath  the  other  on  the  back, when  not  in  use.  When spread  for  flying,  the  two  wings  of each  side  are  locked  together  at  their edges.
• Abdomen - Composed  of  several ring-like  segments.  The  last  segment provided  with  a  sting.  (The drone  bees  have  no  sting.)
• Sting - A  very  slender  tube terminating  in  a  sharp  point.  The base  of  the  sting  communicates  with a  gland  which  secretes  an  irritant poison.  When  the  sting  is  used, some  of  the  poison  passes  through  it into  the  puncture  made.

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

1. What do worker bees do all day? by Bee Professor
2. What do drones do exactly for queens and all hives in general? by MyBeeLine
3. All about Queen bees by Ryan Grady

The Queen Bee Life Cycle Craft.

 

teacher example of bee life-cycle

       Students can make this "life cycle of a queen bee'' using a black marker, three paper plates, yellow paper, white school glue, a stapler, and a brad.

       Look below to see how to cut the first paper plate into queen bee parts. I used glue to assemble my teacher's sample of this graphic craft, but students will find it is much simpler to use a staple gun to assemble the decorative pieces on the top plate.

       Cut the first plate into equal fourths. Use two of these cuts to shape the queen bee's wings just as seen in the photo. Then cut a heart shaped head from the third section and a daisy crown to staple behind the head before attaching the entire head section to the top plate between the two wings.

       Cut and paste yellow to cover the body and head as seen in the photo. Students could paint these areas alternatively instead.

       Cut away a pie shaped window to reveal the hand drawn ''life cycle of a bee'' on the plate attached beneath the body at it's center with a brad.

       Add a few extra trims by cutting antenna from black paper to insert between the queen bee's head and daisy crown. Give the queen rosy cheeks too if you'd prefer!

How to cut and assemble parts of queen bee from paper plate.

 

More Bee Arts/Crafts for Students:

• DIY Bee or Hornet Clothespin Dolls
• ''Bee Mine'' Valentines
• Large bee coloring page
• ''H is for honey or honeybees'' coloring page
  

Free Student Clip Art: Clip art may be printed from a home computer, a classroom computer or from a computer at a library and/or a local printing service provider. This may be done from multiple locations as needed because our education blog is online and available to the general public.

Body. Of  three  parts.  Covered  with  hair.
Head. Compound  eyes,  sucking-tube,  and  a  pair  of  jaws.
Thorax. Bears  the  legs  and  wings.
Legs. Composed  of  several  jointed  parts.
Wings. Formed  of  a  thin  membrane,  with  a  few  rays.
Abdomen. Formed  of  several  ring-like  segments.
Sting. A  fine  tube,  with  a  poison-gland  at  its  base.

Bee

      The bee a common insect of which the honeybee and bumblebee are the best known species. There are probably not less than 5,000 species scattered over all parts of the world, but they are especially numerous in the tropics. Bees naturally divide themselves into two classes: solitary bees, which live in pairs, and those which live in colonies or societies. The carpenter bee and mason bee are good representatives of the first class.

6 Important Facts About The Honeybee:

1. The honeybee has always been regarded as the most intelligent of insects, and it has been partially domesticated from the earliest times.
2. Honeybees live in large colonies or societies, numbering from 10,000 to 60,000 individuals.
3. In bee culture such a colony is known as a swarm.
4. In every swarm there are three kinds of bees: the queen, which is the female bee that lays the eggs from which the colony is born; the males or drones, so called because of the low humming sound which they make, and the workers, which are by far the largest number.
5. There is only one queen to a swarm.
6. The males may number several hundred, but at a certain season every year most of these are stung to death by the workers, who with the queen are provided with stings.

       It is upon leaf-cutting bees, the workers, that the real strength of the swarm depends. They are the smallest, strongest and most active of the three classes. The queen during the season may lay as many as 300 eggs in a single day, but in cold weather, the number is much less. From the eggs first laid come the workers, and from the later ones, drones. The eggs are deposited in cells prepared by the workers, one to each cell. One set of cells is constructed for workers and another for drones and the queen never makes a mistake in depositing the eggs. The eggs which are to develop into queens are laid in cells much larger than the others, but they will not differ from those laid in the other cells, and the queen is developed by feeding the larva on a special food.

       The eggs are about one-twelfth of an inch long, of a bluish color and oblong in shape. They hatch in about three days. The larvae are fed by the workers for about five days, the food consisting of honey and pollen, called beebread. When the larva has grown so as to fill the cell, the workers seal it up and leave it for about two weeks, when the bee comes forth in the adult state. As the swarm becomes too large for the home in which it lives, a new queen is allowed to appear, and in a short time after this, on a bright, warm day, the old queen leaves the hive with a large portion of the swarm and seeks a new home for herself or enters one that the bees have found beforehand. In one season as many as three successive swarms may leave the same colony. During the winter the bees remain asleep, move about but little and eat little food.

       Bees obtain their food by entering flowers and sucking up and swallowing the nectar, which is stored in the stomach-like honey bag. The hind legs are also provided with little cavities, called baskets, in which the bees store pollen for transit to the home. The bee, after gathering what pollen and honey it can carry, rises into the air, flies in a circle for a few times around, then, having found its bearings, flies home in a perfectly straight line; hence the expression bee line. Bee hunters take advantage of this habit to locate swarms and stores of honey.

       On entering and leaving the flowers, bees get dusted with pollen, and as it is their habit to work but one species of flower at a time, they are important agents in the cross- fertilization of flowers; in fact, such plants as clover cannot be successfully grown with- out the aid of bees.

       Bees are liable to be destroyed by the larvae of a moth which enters the hives at night and lays its eggs. The larvae bun-ow out through the cells and sometime kill an entire swarm. Occasionally in winter mice find their way into the hives and feed upon the bees and honey. Lice and several species of flies and birds also destroy bees.

Leaf cutter bee video by ResonatingBodies

S.T.E.A.M. Basic Insect Hotels

       One of our recent STEAM projects came out of our entomology unit: insect hotels. After seeing dozens of elaborate insect hotels in my own Pinterest feed, I decided to try and find a way to let me students build a mini one during one of our afternoon science blocks. We had been reading about insects and their habitats, so we collected our research on what we had learned attracted really beneficial insects. Pine cones, dry leaves, branches, bark, and--yes--even straws--these were the (primarily) natural materials we gathered to arrange into snug nooks and crannies in tin cans to create these mini homes for our insect friends. 

 and here's a finished one...

We tied our up with Baker's Twine to be hung, and the students got to take them home to find a garden for them.

Don't Belittle Little Things

Picture includes a puppy, bee, garden, flowers, cloudy day etc...

"Don't Belittle, Little Things"

A pup on a lark with a joyous bark,

In the clover was fanciful free.

He scampered amuck; stopped very abrupt,

When he chanced on a big bumblebee.

Now the bee looked up at the lazy pup,

The pup thereupon showed his teeth;

"I've got teeth too," said the bumblebee,

"Tho' I may be little and hard to see."

So he stung the pup with an angry buzz;

Now the pup's not so cocky as he used to wuz.

Mrs Bee Explains

Mrs Bee Explains.

Said Mrs. Wasp to Mrs Bee,

"Will you a favor do me?

There's something I can't understand--

Please ma'am, explain it to me;

Why do men build for you a house

And coax you to go in it,

While me--your cousin--they'll not let

Stay near them for a minute?

I have a sting, I do confess,

And should not like to lose it,

But so have you, and when you're vexed

I'm sure you use it!"

"Well," said the bee, "to you, no doubt,

It does seem rather funny;

But people soon forget the stings 

Of those who give them honey!"

Time lapse bees hatch.

"Bee Mine" Valentines

Two happy little bumble bee valentines.

      Bumbles bee Valentines have been a part of American classroom crafts for over 50 years. They are classic little paper crafts that all young ones love to assemble and share with each other.

      I have included here two of my own "Bee Mine, Valentine" bumble bee patterns for your little ones to make this Valentine's Day. Teachers may wish to print and cut the patterns and then trace them on to heavy cardboard so that students can trace around the stencils all by themselves. 

      You will need bright yellow, white and red construction papers for the bodies, wings and hears. Black chenille stems, black and yellow pom-poms, white glue, scissors, markers and tiny brads are also needed for both paper craft projects combined. 

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the patterns that I have drawn up below. 
2. Trace around the elements using a soft lead pencil and yellow construction paper for the bodies of the bees. 
3. Then cut their wings from white paper or transparent wax paper. I outlined my wings to make them stand out for the photos; but these would be just as cute cut from waxy transparent paper. 
4. Color in the stripes black and add facial features. 
5. Antenna can be cut from the chenille stems and pom poms can be glued to the ends. I also added small yellow pom poms for hands to my first bumble bee sample. Encourage your students to add their own ideas to their bumble bee cards. 
6. Write a traditional bee message somewhere on your Valentine. Something like:

"Bee Mine, Valentine!"

or

"Honey, Your So Sweet!"

or 

"You can attract more bees with a bit of honey!"

 

This cheerful little bug can't wait to
surprise some lucky little Valentine.

This honey bee pattern includes bumble bee parts for two Valentines. You will need to cut one of each before tracing them on to bright yellow and white construction paper.

"Honey Bee My Valentine" bumble bee valentine is crafted from the
paper pattern include above. He is designed from three yellow heart
shapes turned upside down then glued together. Two large white
hearts are his wings. I added a few tiny hearts to his
antenna and cheeks too.

Learn More About Bees:

• Free honeycomb printable paper by kathy grimm for more student Valentines
• Bee themed journal Lesson One and Lesson Two
• Sew baby doll crib bedding, '' it bee so cute...''
• Color this bee fairy's wings 
• Color a ''Happy Easter'' Easter Basket surrounded by bees!

Vintage Bumble Bee Valentines:

"Bee" My Valentine Honey! card

"Bee" My Honey Valentine

"Honey, Bee Mine! card

To My Valentine, I think that you're a honey and I hope
that you'll Bee Mine!" Valentine